I’ve been thinking a lot about when I first became a fundraiser.

It happened senior year of high school.

I was class president and we hadn’t raised enough to cover graduation, a class trip, or a class gift.

To close the gap some other classmates and I ended up orchestrating a school-wide game of musical chairs.  We got chairs sponsored, got parents and teachers to serve as game “officials,” and a local DJ to donate his services.

It was a huge success.  We raised enough to put our class in the black AND promote (and make good on) a $250 cash prize for the winner.

Once I realized that I had it in me to cold call and make asks on behalf of others – I was in – and have remained in ever since.

Though, prior to the musical chairs strategy actually coming to fruition, I mostly just thought: What the hell am I doing?

Lately, it’s been way more what the hell than musical chairs – which is maybe why I read way more into the sign that I noticed today while exiting the Ladies Room:

Please Step Up.